EPISODE · Oct 7, 2024 · 7 MIN
DDH - The McCollum Memo
from Plausibly Live - The Dave Bowman Show · host Dave Bowman
In this episode, we explore one of the most intriguing documents of WWII: the McCollum Memo, issued on October 7, 1940. Was the U.S. deliberately provoking Japan into war? Lieutenant Commander Arthur H. McCollum laid out an eight-point plan that might have done just that. But did President Roosevelt see the memo, and how much of it shaped U.S. actions leading up to Pearl Harbor? We’ll discuss the memo's background, its contents, the controversy it sparked, and its lasting influence on history. Was it a calculated strategy or merely a coincidence in an already tense situation in the Pacific?
What this episode covers
In this episode, we explore one of the most intriguing documents of WWII: the McCollum Memo, issued on October 7, 1940. Was the U.S. deliberately provoking Japan into war? Lieutenant Commander Arthur H. McCollum laid out an eight-point plan that might have done just that. But did President Roosevelt see the memo, and how much of it shaped U.S. actions leading up to Pearl Harbor? We’ll discuss the memo's background, its contents, the controversy it sparked, and its lasting influence on history. Was it a calculated strategy or merely a coincidence in an already tense situation in the Pacific?
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DDH - The McCollum Memo
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